What is the most accurate Semi-auto 22 for under 250.00

[Spirithawk]

My son bought a Ruger 10/22 Target model with the Hammer Forged Bull Barrel and a custom trigger job. My little Savage model 64 put it to shame! $500 Ruger compared to $150 Savage! That Savage 64 will flat surprise you. It's not just accurate....it's extremely accurate! Add to that that I have yet to have it misfeed even once and it's pretty darn impressive.

[tuck2]

How much quality control can you get for less than $ 250.00  What is accurate ?  If ten of the same brand and model  rimfire semi auto 22 rifles with top quality scopes  where fired at a 60 yard target with five round what size groups could one expect?  My standard for accuracy is that a 22 rimfire rifle  must put five round into a 1/2 inch group  or less at 60 yards to be  called accurate. It also must do it each time I shoot it off a bench rest. I first started shooting 22 rimfire rifles back in 1947 and have owned bolt action single shot a repeters, lever action, slide action, and semi auto 22 rimfire rifles.  If you get a accurate semi auto you are luckey--

[Spirithawk]

How much quality control can you get for less than $ 250.00  What is accurate ?  If ten of the same brand and model  rimfire semi auto 22 rifles with top quality scopes  where fired at a 60 yard target with five round what size groups could one expect?  My standard for accuracy is that a 22 rimfire rifle  must put five round into a 1/2 inch group  or less at 60 yards to be  called accurate. It also must do it each time I shoot it off a bench rest. I first started shooting 22 rimfire rifles back in 1947 and have owned bolt action single shot a repeters, lever action, slide action, and semi auto 22 rimfire rifles.  If you get a accurate semi auto you are luckey--

Just scan back up and look at the pic of my target. And yes the savage 64 is a semi auto.   I'd put it up against any .22 made at any price.  

[bckskin2]

Since the question was most accurate Semi-Auto under $250.00 I believe the Savages, Remingtons, etc are all good rifles for their purpose. My nephew had a Remington that was a real big rifle feel. I think they are still around but don't know if you can get one for under $250.00

[lrs]

My Grandfather had a Marlin Mod 60, it looked like it did have a hard life.  But that was one of the most accurate rifles I have ever fired.
So I purchased one last night, it will actually be under the Christmas tree for Saturday morning.
I picked up some rings, and was thinking of installing a rifle scope, such what you would put on a centerfire rifle. 

[ratherbefishin]

I got a marlin 795,shoots great,so I bought a Boyds laminate thumbhole stock for it[$69]and a bushnel .22 scope .Total still under $250.Any .22 I have has to shoot''minute of grouse head''and the marlin does it consistently

[Country Boy]

 Don't get the rugar, they are junk !  Buy a marlin 60 119.00 at wallys, they shoot goups under 1/2 with the right ammo

[Keith L]

I could just as easily say dont get the Marlin 60, they are junk.  Get the Ruger.  My Marlin was junk, and both of my 10-22s are reliable and accurate.  To each their own.

[ChrisB0307]

I'm a bang for the buck kind of guy. So when I look saw the original post the first gun that came to mind was the Marlin model 60. I own 3 that were all bought at different times. Everyone shoots great and it's accurate with anything I feed them. The first was bought for me as a gift when I was 11 years of age. I'm 36 now and that rifle still shoots like a dream. When I was younger my father and I use to light matches at 40 yards with that gun. As I got older in my 20's I bought a new one that performed and shot just like my original. Then about a year ago I bought a 3rd and it's just as good. The original will be handed down to my kid. The other two I use for target and small critter hunting.

a friend of mine bought a 10/22 and when we went to the land for some shooting time he ended up shooting my Marlin 60 more than his new gun. He said it felt better and shot better. He returned the 10/22 the same day and bought a model 60.

When you compare prices I just feel you get more from the Marlin than you do from the others at a cheaper price. What it really boils down to though is look and feel to YOU. Go handle each one and get the one that looks and feels best for you. Practice shooting it and it will be as accurate as you are.

[Glanceblamm]

Go handle each one and get the one that looks and feels best for you. Practice shooting it and it will be as accurate as you are.

Well said.

This includes a 50's Savage model 15-A of mine, single feed bolt with the knob to cock manually. Creepy trigger, fine sights, but shoots like a dream.

Also an old Noble with a bull barrel, hooded front sight, and good walnut stock with the same single feed bolt. Should have kept that one but knew it was going to a good friends young son.

Various Glenfield models with the newer model 60 can be added to the list along with a Winchester 39 and even a Win 94 with that one not counting as it is a WMR. My "go to" is still a Nylon 66 date code 1972.

When one advances to the silly-wet shoots, the search for the right ammo to include the right lot number becomes more the issue than the rifle.

[quietman]

Out of the box with no mods? A Marlin 60 or 795. The comment about getting a 10/22 and the accessorizing it applies even more to the 60 or 795 as you'll have a lot more money left over for accessories.

At the Appleseed shoot I was using  my 60 and hit the 4 inch metal gong (with peep sights, not a scope) at 100 yards 12 out of 14 in a nasty wind. The wind was blowing across the range and the wind sock was sticking straight out, so it was pretty darn windy. I've shot quarter size 15 shot groups with the 795 at 25 yards with federal bulk, and have shot dollar size 30 shot groups with the 60 at 40 yards using bulk ammo.

No target barrels, no added triggers (although a lighter trigger would shrink groups even more), nothing added (other than a scope on the 795 and tech sights on the 60) to make them shoot this way.

I've heard the new Savage semi auto's can be pretty accurate too.

[STUMPJMPR]

I have been researching the same thing for several days, as I am not happy with my 10/22.  The best I can do is 1-1.5" at 50 yards using mini-mags.

Rugers seem to be solid guns, but not the most accurate.
Marlin 60/795 seems to be more accurate than a 10/22 right out the box.  Tends to be more prone to jamming than 10/22.
Savage 64 couldn't find a whole lot.  Most of what I have seen they were good shooters par with marlin.
Remington 597 seems to be more accurate than a 10/22.  No real problems with newer models.

This is just a general consensus from reading a lot of forums over the last few days.  I think I am going to get a marlin.

[Spirithawk]

I've always been a Ruger fan but recently my son bought a Ruger 10/22 Target Model with a hammer forged bull barrel and a factory custom trigger job. Cost? $500. Ya know what? With him shooting exspensive target ammo and me bulk Federals my little $130 Savage Model 64 put the Ruger to shame. My son was so disgusted he sold the Ruger at the next gun show two weeks later! You simply aren't going to find another factory out of the box .22 as inexspensive nor more exspensive that will outshoot the Savage 64. All you have to do to prove my words is shoot one.

[Strikenmike]

I own a Marlin 7000.  It has been discontinued.  It has a bull barrel and shoots VERY well.  It really likes CCI MinMags and SuperX 40gr solids.  Seldom jams with good ammo and shoots tight groups.  Last Fall I did put an adjustable trigger on it, and just today put a laminated stock on it.  Anxious to see if it still shoots as well as before, or perhaps even better.  I have won two club rimfire shooting contest with this gun and one other time, the gun won but a friend of mine (former) was doing the shooting.  Took me a year to get over that one.

So, I guess I am recommending the Marlins.

[Rex in OTZ]

The header reads most accurate semi-auto 22 for under 250.00
Is that NEW or USED?
if its new I guess the Savage or Marlin, is out the box new, accurate with no monking and nickel and dimeing to tweak em accurate.

Lots say Ruger is best but not many say ther accurate new outta the box to the same level of the Marlin or Savage for under $250?.

Of course thers lots of used rimfires floating round that are accurate...mabe a old winchester 190? or a beatup looking old Remington 552 with good bore?

[semperfi1970]

Heck fellas they are both real good guns, Marlin 60 and the Ruger 10/22  for what they are in there stock form, but remember neither is overy accurate out of the box.  For the extra $ spent I would opt for the Ruger 10/22 for several reasons. The biggest reason in my opinion would have to be that the Ruger is a lot more refined. Refined in that it has more machining in the sights and barrel than the Marlin has in the whole gun. I guess Im just a sucker for a machined dovetail fine bead/blade front and fully adjustable flip up rear sights -vs- the Marlin's stamped out tin sorta adjustable rear sight with a step wedge graduaded to what ballistics we have no idea and the pot metal or even plastic fat front integraded thing they call a blade sight tube feed retainer. I like my sights to function as sights and be adjustable better than minute of 50 yard popcan. Well I dont think I need to go any farther as the original post read what is the most accurate semi auto .22lr for under $250.  Put aside the barrel and ammo, with out real sights you will never be accurate. Just look at the difference in the stock guns, just my opinion but the Marlin is poorly made and allmost toy like.

Dont get me wrong I love my marlin .22's, I just think it is unfair to Marlin to compair it to a Ruger.  Semi or bolt they are in two different class of firearms. They are both purpose built just one is built better than the other in all aspects.

[ironglow]

I have had 3 Marlins, first a #7000..very accurate..but gave to a grandson, then a #60..good shooter, but went to another grandson (I make a habit of that)..now have a #795 accuracy potential is good, but the trigger is a real bummer.
   I am surprised that only Spirithawk strongly recomended the Savage #64, although 2 others mentioned it in passing.  Savage has been showing much "best out of the box" in recent years in both rim and centerfire.  I believe if I were buying a standard priced semi-auto today and planned on keeping it stock..I would go with the Savage.
  That being said, I have recently been contemplating trading my 795 for a 10/22...and I will be doing the "whole enchilada" trteatment.
   I do have a "first year (1964)" model 10/22 with a 4-digit serial#..which will shoot with the best of them...but I will not be modifying that in any way.
   I will admit that in my experience, although the marlins have not given me any serious problems feeding rounds, I think the 10/22 is probably the most reliable feeder in stock form.
  I built up a 10/22 years ago and found that a Bentz chamber can be a bit more picky during feeding, than a stock barrel.

  Below, see a current Savage #64, TRR-SR.. MSRP $315... should be able to find somewhere @ about $250..and as a stock rifle should be very accurete after break-in.

[ironglow]

Update;
   I bought a Savage 64 (base model) a couple weeks back, to celebrate "Gun Freedom" day.  I haven't done a great deal with it yet..but it is showing signs of being very accurate...even with the first few magazines.  I am rather pleased with it and may make it a dedicated squirrel gun.

[Spirithawk]

Update;
   I bought a Savage 64 (base model) a couple weeks back, to celebrate "Gun Freedom" day.  I haven't done a great deal with it yet..but it is showing signs of being very accurate...even with the first few magazines.  I am rather pleased with it and may make it a dedicated squirrel gun.

Hate to say I told ya so....buttttttt....I told ya so!    

[Sourdough]

My old Remington Nylon 66 is accurate enough for me.  Still shooting strong and just as accurate as when it was new.  Myself, both my sons, and many of their friends have learned to shoot and gained confidence shooting this little gun.  Their only objection, it took too long to reload.

[Ladobe]

Yep, a to each his own thing.   There's been a heck of a lot of them around here over the decades.  The one that has always got it done for me since got new in 1959 is the only one that's still here.
 

 

[geezerbiker]

Don't forget the Model 87 Savage.  They haven't made them for a long time but good used ones run about a hundred and a quarter.

I have 2 of them and the scoped one will shoot 1 inch 100 yard groups.  I used to have a job with Sundays and Mondays off.  There wasn't much to do on Mondays so if it wasn't raining, I'd be out shooting.  I sometimes was too broke to shoot the 2 center fire rifles I had at the time (I have a much better selection now) but I always could afford a couple boxes of .22 long rifle.  Anyway I wouldn't sell it for less than 10x what it's worth now.

I picked up the second one late last year and I've only shot it once but it's a keeper too.

Tony

[coyotejoe]

Semperfi1970, I notice that all but one of your rifles are wearing scopes so why dis the Marlin's admittedly cheap iron sights? While there may be situations where open sights are fine, generally speaking I'm of the opinion that a rifle without a scope is only half a rifle. My CZ bolt action rimfires came from the factory with match grade finely adjustable open iron sights and it seemed a crying shame to remove them but I knew I needed a scope so those fine open sights for which I had to pay now rest in a box on a shelf of my shop where they do no one any good. I'd rather discard a set of cheap stamped steel sights, knowing they probably didn't add more than one dollar to the cost of the gun than to discard a fine set of micro adjustable sights for which I  probably paid $15-20. I'd say Marlin is wise to issue the cheapest possible iron sights knowing they will work OK for those who use them and for the majority of shooters who will add a scope those cheap iron sights are no big loss.

[ironglow]

I have owned various autos over the years..Ruger (3), Savage(1) , Marlin(3), Browning(1) and more..  I have zeroed in .22 autos for other folks, to include Mossberg & Winchester.  At present, I have 3@ .22 autos  My first year of production 10/22, a Marlin 795 and a new Savage I just bought.  All are accurate.. but if I wanted to give myself the best odds for an under $250 MSRP.. I would grab another Savage.
  Accor4ding to Ruger's website, the MSRP on the 10/22s are all over $250, but even if it were under $250..I'd still go Savage. I and my sons & grandkids have bought additional 10/22s over the years, and they can't come near my "first year model, although I have heard positive reports on the Walmart special.  Ruger does have the best magazine..(IMO)
   I can think of 3 choices under $250...  Marlin, Savage & Mossberg